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vocalist,pianist.composer has thirty five
years to his credit in the music industry...Those who
like Nat King Cole and Johnny Hart man will also like
Ernie Nelson. He has been inspired by the smoothness of Nat Cole's voice and the powerful bass baritone of Johnny Hartman.
Formerly from( Philly) Philadelphia Pennsylvania, he now resides in Montreal Quebec,Canada.. his vocals are very soothing and extremely uplifting to the listener.He moves your heart with life changing, soul stirring intensity. With a back ground in gospel ,blues and old school dance music he toured extensively along the east coast with those bands before making the transition into pop standards and from there into jazz..During this time period he played guitar using a Gibson Les Paul gold body which he still loves. His amp was a Gibson tube amp which produced a most heavenly sound. It is with this Rig that he began experimenting with jazz chords and progressions... this experimentation eventually took him to New York city where he found himself learning with the best musicians in the world.,such as organists Jimmy Smith who played a Hammond B3 and Johnny Smith who used a Hammond A100. There he was sheltered and mentored by those musicians who introduced him to the recording world. He was ushered into those gigs which used guitar as a backup instrument for singers, horn players, organists and big bands. As a result of these gigs he became a well rounded musician able to play in all genres and styles. This is the definition of a highly sought after musician and is the fist phase of the transition.The second involves the return to piano which brings him into the present days as well. All of the song writing and arranging has been and is worked out on piano and other keyboards. Piano was the absolute first instrument he played as a child even then trying to make up little songs . A confirmed lover of romantic music whatever the genre he listens to and is inspired by to all types of music.African and East Indian tribal music particularly the south indian bass flute,Chinese music as played on the Erhu,a one stringed instrument played with a bow, European chanting, all the way up to the great classical orchestras playing Daphne And Chloe.
Sonny Greenwich the best of Canadian jazz artists plays on six songs in this work. He is known world wide and is one of the most highly regarded and original jazz Guitarists ever.He played with Miles Davis,Wayne Shorter, Pharoah Saunders and Horace Silver. His input on these songs is pure genius.Some, were done in one take..In the New york music scene he recorded with Hank Mobley and John Handy and knew all the members of John Coltrane's famous band.. He has twenty five recordings available under his own name. Ernie is on three of Sonny's albums as vocalist and percussionist and on the album "Hymn To The Earth" is featured singing his mystifying composition" Serengetti"...His favorite time of day is between midnight and six am when everything is still and quiet.. this is the best time for creating..arranging and writing.For him , writing began as a hobby,,it was just fun to do he says, just something i loved even though at that time i didn't realize what writing music was. Now today he is constantly writing more and better music.It keeps getting deeper and broader spiraling upwards and outwards to who knows where.If you like Nat cole or Oc Smith You will like this album.If you like soul soothing music you will love this album..
One of the last things Ernie, George Klaus and myself were doing,
was collaborating on Ernie's new music system ie: Computer setup
that he used to record music. He was planning and working on a new album and wanted to get up to speed with his equipment.
This was two weeks prior to his death.
Ernie, George and I go way back almost 40 years and we met through music in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. I'm trying to remember all the times we played together and forgive us our inaccuracies.
First, in Nov. 1969 we were the house band at the Winston Churchill Pub where Ernie played the Hammond B3 organ, Dido on drums and percussion and myself on vocals and guitar. Ernie was of course, the main singer.
This, by the way, is where I introduced George and Ernie. George, also a Hammond organ player, was introduced by Ernie, to a new style of playing the left hand bass in an organ trio which originated in Philadelphia with Jimmy Smith. Ernie was very good at it and was happy to show it to George. As a result George was able to fill in for Ernie on occasions when Ernie needed a sub. Who knew that these relationships would last a lifetime.
Next, we had a 6 piece band called Odyssey with Ernie on
keyboards, and our friend George on synths. This was all
original music which was jazz oriented and did get airplay
and was popular enough to play at many of the
university campuses.
Although Ernie, myself and George remained friends throughout the years, musically we all went in our own directions but still
collaborated on mutual musical projects.
One of which was a CD called "Hymn To The Earth" by
Sonny Greenwich (1994) Recorded in my home studio
"Honey Music Productions" with George as the engineer,
Ernie wrote and sang a beautiful song titled "Serengeti".
We highly recom- mend that you include this song and
or CD at his memorial service as Ernie and Sonny
were very good friends.
Ernie also sang and performed with Sonny's group on many
occasions through the years as well as on Sonny's CDs.
One CD that comes to mind is titled "Spirit In The Air" where
Ernie sings and plays percussion.
In Ernie's later years he had switched from organ to piano and
played at the "Upstairs Club" in Montreal on a regular basis playing and singing. Many of the students from "McGill" and Concordia
Universities, both in the neighborhood, would go to see Ernie perform.
Wayne George and Sonny all spoke about Ernie as a musician and friend. I knew Ernie both as a friend and as a great music teacher.
I met Ernie in the late 60’s when I was hired as a guitar teacher by Wayne and George at their music store B Natural. From that point on, we all became fast friends and when the music store moved to
larger premesis, we moved the school to a separate location and
from then on Ernie and I worked side by side as partners teaching
music at the Guitar, Keyboard and Vocal Study Center.
Ernie ran the Keyboard and Vocal section.
This school was a well known and very popular destination for
many of Montreal’s music students who enjoyed the friendly,
down home atmosphere especially from Ernie who greeted all
his students as if they were very close friends. Which many did
become over the more than 30 years that Ernie taught music.
Thousands of students passed through our doors and Ernie’s
studio was always busy as he taught many aspiring musicians
not only how to play and to sing, but to appreciate the joy of music.
Our school also gave many recitals and Ernie’s students always
stole the show with their amazing vocal performances
accompanied by Ernie on keyboards. It takes a lot of courage
for a vocalist to perform and Ernie had a special gift in helping
people find their voice and to get them to sing out to the world.
It is not by accident that many managers of local bands and solo acts sent their performers to Ernie who would help them further
polish their performances. He also worked with professional
vocalists who were recording in studios, encouraging them
to perform at their best.
In addition to his private students, Ernie also taught Jazz vocals
at both McGill and Concordia Universities. Many of his university
students are now performing professionally all over the world,
thanks in no small part to encouragement from Ernie.
As an assistant choir director for the world famous Montreal
Jubilation Gospel Choir, Ernie inspired many young singers in the
choir who performed at such venues as the Montreal Jazz Festival,
and on local and national television shows which often featured
the choir for Christmas and Easter celebrations.
When our school shut it’s door in the late nineties, Ernie continued
to teach both privately and at the university level.
Ernie and I were friends for almost 40 years and he will be greatly missed by his many students and colleagues whose lives he
helped change for the better.
The interesting thing about the relationship between Ernie and
I is that in the early 60's we played in a hotel in downtown Toronto
Canada. I was in the house band, and Ernie played guitar in the
featured American rhythm and blues band Shotgun Kelly.
I never met Ernie, or him me as the two bands didn't associate with
each other at all.
I think I met Ernie through Wayne Prue and George Klaus in
Montreal in the seventies, and we all loved the same kinds of
music, all having blues based music or playing at some point
in blues bands.
Ernie's voice was well suited to my music and he sang with me
often over the next thirty years, and is singing on my
upcoming release.
Over the last years, Ernie and I talked often and often had laughing
fits talking over different subjects over the phone. I will miss
those talks because that’s where I think he felt the "brotherly love"
that he spoke of to his family.
Hello, It's Ima... just a little hello to say that I miss u Ernie... I know that you are not that far but It's hard to hear your voice ... I hope that you are happy and that you are helping the angels to do their work xxxx Love Ima
I am a student of Ernie , I just got the news today! I was so shocked... We talked the 5th of September and had such a great conversation... He his my spiritual guide... and for a while I had no news... so I left a couple of messages on his answering machine... and today I finally decided to go at his place, I was sort of, affraid to go... I had a "feeling" that maybe He was gone... somewhere else... And the landlord told me he had past away... I went to the Oratorory, with my mother, where we went before together... and I prayed... and cried... and I shared this new with a couple of good friends who knew that Ernie was a very special friend and my singing teacher for ten years... and one of them send me to this site.... and here I am! It feels good to be able to share memories of him with people who knew him... Thank you so much Wayne for doing this... He deserve soooooo much!!!! I have heard you sing, He was so proud of you!!! Bravo and I will come back so soon.... Now that I know that he is not at all forgotten I can sleep. Thank you and God bless you. He is now at the right place, Ernie xxx :) Ima
Ernie xxx love , God bless you. I miss u , physically. I know that you are happy and at the right place... but I just miss, our talk.. little and big chat!!! Thank you for you know what!!! I am blessed that I had you as my mentor! I am ready to fly with my own wings now... and you are flying higher... now! Enjoy and I know that you are one of those angels .... love you always xxx:)
Ernie was a great guy and an even greater friend. He was the guy that would help you out when you needed it and cared. That's rare. It's beyond my understanding that he passed away so abruptly. I know G-d must have had something better in mind for him.
Ernie taught my sons and I music for a number of years. He was one of the most patient persons I have ever met -- never critical -- always encouraging -- a "gentle musician" through and through and a deeply spiritual person.
